The Power within the Sutra
by ari2266
Summary: I DON'T OWN SAIYUKI!This is a follow on from 'Soul Fire' written by Jivra. The Girls and the Saiyuki boys are still travelling together, but someone has pieced together what has happened tot he fifth sutra! ACTION PACKED!
1. Angry Angel

His footsteps were silent as he made his way down the deserted forest highway. His tanned, ruddy toes digging into the dirt with distaste. Still – it was better than wearing shoes. He couldn't STAND the constrictiveness of shoes. Adjusting his knee length, black trench coat, the young man continued on his way to the village in the distance.

He was sure he felt the pulse coming from there.

***

"Jivraaaa! Harahetaaaa!!"

"Urasai!" Came the reply – identically from two different mouths. The responders glanced at each other and scowled in annoyance. That… damn… monkey!

"Ah… hahaha – patience, you two! Goku, come, I'll get you something." The young brunette's face lightened, and he darted off after the retreating green eyed man, and his white dragon. The red haired female of the group smiled, and a small laugh escaped her lips in a huff – that baka was always so entertaining – the reactions he could pull from both Sanzo AND Jivra always made her giggle. It was nice to see her old friend comfortable in her surroundings once more. After all… it had only been 11 months since the last sutra had come to life…

Warm, moist lips brushed against Ax's ear, disturbing her thoughts, "What do you think – should we leave those two alone for a while?" Gojyo's breath smelt heavily of cigarettes and spices… and something else. Something decidedly… MALE. No matter how much she pretended, Ax couldn't help the tug of attraction she felt for the half-caste.

"Hmmm…. Good idea." She whispered in reply, and quickly signaled to Artie and Teu to join her. Jivra and Sanzo continued to walk ahead, making a slow beeline for the market place in the small village they were visiting. They hadn't noticed the lack of companionship – yet. She grinned at the thought of them figuring out her little plan, and felt her sharp canines press against her bottom lip. Oh yeah – Jiv was gonna be MAD when she found out Ax had left her ALL alone with the monk…

Ever since the unforgettable instance of the half-angel's soul splitting in two, the relationship between the monk and Jivra had been… awkward. Sanzo was still an arrogant asshole, and Jivra was as prickly as ever – but something as definitely changed. Everyone bar Goku had noticed the subtle shift from their previous relationship, and felt that, though this change was unusual, it wasn't necessarily bad. Between the three of them, Hakkai, Ax and Gojyo had decided that the two would need to spend as much time alone together as possible – to clear the air, or finish things for good.

Gojyo, of course, believed that Sanzo was horny for the girl, and immediately dove back into the story of the monks chemically induced mating period the last year. That is, he WOULD have, had not a bullet shot the cigarette right out of his mouth in warning.

Ax turned to Gojyo with a raised brow, and the red haired man smirked in reply. Ax merely smiled, and, as fluidly as a cat, stalked by the hanyou with her hands on the small blue dragon and the black raven. Teu and Artemis chirped in reply to the light pat, and recognized the signal as one to fly back to their camp, or to find Hakkai and Hakuyruu. Ax felt her vampires' heart lift slightly at the thought. She had the suspicious feeling that Teu and Hakuryuu were getting along as just a little bit MORE than friends – it was something she would have to keep in mind…

Walking down a nearby alley, Ax felt strong, wiry hands alight on her hips. She had heard him come up behind her, but had decided that, just this once, she would let him push his luck a little farther. The fingers travelled up her waist, and one hand continued to her shoulder, spinning her around in a swift movement. She stared, unsurprised into the sultry, crimson eyes. He really did have beautiful eyes. Gojyo smiled lopsidedly,

"Usually by now, I could expect a swift kick to the balls or a punch to the gut… what's changed?" His voice was soft, but not seductive – not yet. He was curious. "Not that I'm complaining, mind. I just want to know what lucky star I must have wished upon for this to happen." He wrapped his arms around her a little tighter, bringing her body closer to him. Ax frowned, feeling her blood-hunger begin to rise at the heat from his body. He was so close… too close…

"Gojyo… stop it. I was just curious… this isn't… it's not...." She struggled in his arms, unable to find the words she wanted, or the strength to escape his grasp. Clutching her tightly, the hanyou pulled her bodily to him, and crushed her lips to his. Her eyes widened, and she felt anger and distrust… then… something else…

Relaxing into his hold, she placed her hands around his neck, and allowed her lips to explore his gently, her sharp incisors scraping against his tongue, drawing blood. She allowed her eyes to close, and for the first time in many years, FELT the kiss, rather than analyzed it.

"Hmmm… well… it's not coming from HERE." A strong, masculine voice drifted up the alleyway, disturbing the two redheads, tearing them apart from each other. Gojyo whipped his head over his shoulder and scowled at the intruder. Ax, arms still around his neck, looked over Gojyo's shoulder and hissed in defiance, her eyes turning slightly red. She was pissed. Well – she wasn't the only one.

"OI! What the hell are you doing? Get the hell out of here you freak!" Gojyo yelled, furious beyond belief that someone had interrupted his long awaited moment with the vivacious vamp. He was ready to pull out his shakujo without a second thought - if he didn't already have his hands full.

The voice came again: "Yeah, look – whatever, mate." And it was gone. They hadn't seen more than a midday silhouette of the owner…. Just a voice…

Ax suddenly felt very cold. That voice… it was so… familiar. She had to find Jivra… FAST. Dropping her arms, she swiftly punched Gojyo in the gut, stopping his immediate questions, and dropping him to the dirt, so she could escape in the other direction. Gojyo hacked and coughed in reply, and winced as Ax transformed into her maeth form, flying as quickly as she could to find her wandering friend.

***

"Those bastards," The blonde priest muttered under his breath. He was quite enjoying the warm sunshine, and lazy air of the day, when he finally noticed that they were all alone. Just him... and her. Not even those little animal friends of theirs…

The redheads were going to pay for this.

"Dammit Ax – I'm gonna kick your ass when I see you next." He heard Jivra say quietly, and raised an eyebrow in her direction. Apparently, she was as uncomfortable in the situation as he was. Strange. He had assumed she wouldn't have cared either way – she had never really minded being on her own, or with the group – except when it came time to sleep – then she had to go elsewhere, as she slept badly.

Genjyo sighed and stopped to lean against a nearby wall, pulling his cigarettes out of his pocket. Jivra turned her head to him, pulling the brim of her cowboy hat down a bit lower, to hide her eyes.

Stupid monk.

It had been months since her 'incident', yet still he treated he like she was… less than herself. It wasn't like she had LOST anything! Ok… sure. She had lost the Dragons soul, and powers. But she was still Jivra! She was still the person they met all that time ago. She was still… her. Walking over to the wall, Jivra leaned against it next to Sanzo, and allowed her legs to cross themselves comfortably. As the monk took a deep drag on his cancer-stick of a cigarette, Jivra sighed. This couldn't go on any longer.

"Hey monk," She said, just loudly enough for him to hear, but not so loud that every passer-by could listen, "I've been thinking – I know you're not keeping us, and we just happen to be tagging along… but… I think its time we went our separate ways." She waited, listening to the sounds of local children laughing in some game.

"I was wondering when you'd finally get going – you've guys have been nothing but a pain in the ass since we met you." Sanzo's voice was full of spite, and something else…

Jivra turned her head and glowered at him, he continued to stare straight ahead ignoring her gaze.

" You damn… stupid… arrogant… son of a… MONK!" She screamed suddenly, pushing herself off the wall and striding into the throng of market dwellers. Had she had a match, flames would have ignited on her head, such was her rage. She made her way through the people, came out the other side of the markets and disappeared into the maze of streets, not looking, and not caring where she was going. Sanzo stared lazily after her, not moving a muscle to chase her down. She said she wanted to leave, right? Well, there she went – good riddance. He dropped his cigarette stub and crushed it beneath his toe, walking back in the direction they had come from – the direction of the inn.

Still…

He alone knew what she now was… and it was because of that, that he couldn't let her go so easily. If she wasn't the living embodiment of one of the Heavenly Scriptures, he would have asked her to leave earlier. As it was, she was beginning to exhibit new and unusual powers – exceedingly similar to his own. The connection was made by Hakkai, when he noticed that both Sanzo and Jivra seemed to have a similar effect on Goku, not to mention the power to regain his limiter. That alone was proof of her holy powers.

Grunting at his how his thoughts always seemed to drift back to her, instead of back to himself, Sanzo walked back to the inn, looking forward to sitting down with the newspaper, and a mug of tea.

***

Piercing, silver black eyes shone through the darkness of the alleyway. THERE. That was where the pulse was coming from – that girl… she held… some kind of power. Perhaps SHE could do it… perhaps SHE could release him. Stepping out, directly into her path, the tall, spiky haired youth stopped Jivra in her tracks.

He was tall, almost six feet, with spiky blue hair. No – she was mistaken – his hair was blond with dark blue tips. He had broad shoulders and was slim – seemingly well built with a smooth, toned face, and sharp chin. His catlike eyes were almost sinister, such was the way he gazed at her, and his arms seemed to be somewhere inside his knee length trench coat. Beneath the hem of the black coat, she could she could see well worn, tatty jeans, and bare toes poking out from the torn hems.

She huffed in impatience and went to step around him, but he blocked her with a single twitch on his foot. She let her shoulders drop, and felt the tension of anger leave her, being replaced with the readiness for a fight – oh yeah… this would DEFINITELY help her release some of that tension…

Swinging her arm in a swift punch to the face, she felt herself go flying back by a huge gust of wind. She crossed her arms over her face and rode it out, wondering what the hell was going on. Looking back at the strange youth, she realized he couldn't be more than 22 or 23 – what was one so young doing here, all alone? Didn't boys this age usually travel in packs? Like dogs?

Walking towards him more slowly, Jivra stopped just outside arms length, and looked up into his silvery black eyes, trying to distinguish the exact color. They kept changing, though… silver, grey, speckled white, ebony black…. Shaking her head to release herself from the strange hypnotism, she asked him flat out, bored by games, "Who are you? Why are you blocking me? And what the HELL do you want? I'm kinda busy you know!" She put her hands on her hips and waited, watching his core for movement, in case he tried a surprise attack.

"You…" His voice was soft, like melting butter – it made her think of warm summer winds and the soft hush of tree leaves, "…You may have it – the power I need…" He took a step towards her, reaching out a hand slowly to her chest. Jivra immediately took a step back, slight disgust on her face that he thought to try to grope her. Well, she would show HIM – if he tried to touch her, he would feel the scorch of the sutra's power all the way up his arms. And if he was a demon, he would instantly burn. Oh…. She hoped he would try….

His hand landed lightly on her chest, right in between her breasts. Jivra smirked, and waited for the explosion – she had 'accidentally' caused several such youkai deaths in the past few months, as she had been learning to use the Sutra's powers. Of course – the only youkai that could touch her comfortably were her companions – though she supposed that had more with them being her choice, rather than them being youkai. Oh, except for Gojyo – every time he tried to make a grab for her (as he did every now and again – damn sex-crazed water sprite!) his hand got scorched, and Hakkai had to spend half an hour healing him. It always made Sanzo smirk when that happened – he liked the hanyou being beaten back by a girl.

Hand on her chest, the tall young man took a deep breath and closed his eyes, pushing back the Sutra's power with his mind, and feeling the scorching heat just beyond his fingertips… ah! There it was! The core! He opened his eyes to the sky and smiled.

Perhaps today was the day he could finally go home…

TO BE CONTINUED….


	2. First Encounter

"Hakkai! Hey! Can we get some of these? Can we? huh?" The young monkey looked at the brunette man with glistening, puppy dog eyes. If he had a tail, he would have wagged it. Hakkai smiled and sighed, nodding in silent agreement. Goku yipped in excitement and turned to the vendor, grabbing as much of the fruit as he could lay his hands on.

Hakka merely grinned complacently and looked around the market place curiously, wondering if the crowds were always this thick, or if there was a carnival in town. Gaze drifting, he noticed a large shadow swiftly pass over the marketplace, its features extremely familiar. He knew those wings... he had seen them before… but not for many months…

Maeth!

Gojyou groaned as he limped his way into his room at the inn. God dammit that woman knew how to land a punch! His grimace widened into his trademark smirk as he lay down on the single bed in the corner – but he still had got to kiss her…

His mind wandered back to that moment, and he had to try hard to quell the stirring of desire in his body. That woman. That vamp. That… Vampire. She was more woman than he had ever met. Her body was curved lusciously in all the right place, her lip were full and red. Her eyes spoke of a thousand hidden promises of heat, passion and excitement. Her voice was deep and husky, yet very feminine, the kind of voice that made a mans' spine turn to jelly. And in more ways than one, she seduced him.

With words, with motions, with ideas – even the way she blinked seduced him. She had a way of making everything she did appeal to the male libido within him. He wasn't even sure if she was aware of this effect, but he was sure she knew his reaction to it- as she continued to beat him to a pulp when he did so. So caught up in his own little world, was he – that he very nearly missed the near silent knock on the bedroom doorframe, before the intruder… well, intruded.

"Sanzo! What the hell man? Can you at least knock and wait a few seconds? I mean, what if there was a woman in here with me… unless you're into that kind of thing? Why, you kinky bastard-" WHACK. The chair thrown from across the room connected with Gojyo's face solidly sending him flying back in a spurt of blood.

"Keep your perverted thoughts to yourself, you damn lecher! I only wanted to know if Goku and Hakkai came back with you – they were supposed to pick up cigarettes for me." Sanzo's voice barely hinted at the effort it took to hurl and entire chair across the room. Gojyo wiped his nose and glared at the monk – yes – he had deserved that – but it still hurt!

"They didn't come with me man – if anything… I thought you would still be out in the market somewhere… did Jivra come back with you?" His eyes searched Sanzo's surroundings as thought the pretty girl might pop out of his robes at any minute.

Sanzo's eyebrows twitched. "I don't care what happens to that woman – she can do what she damn well pleases. It's not up to me to keep an eye on her." He turned his face, ignoring the single raised eyebrow from Gojyos' direction. He felt a twist in his gut, but refused to listen to the possibility that maybe he was wrong.

Gojyo sighed and reclined back on the bed further. "Well – if that's what you say, oh holy Buddha – then may the girl look after herself. I mean – what possible harm could someone like HER get into? Hmm?" He made the statement sound like a challenge, and Sanzo whipped around to glare at him – but Gojyo was already dozing asleep. Sanzo snorted, and eyed his red headed companion curiously. Funny… he seemed to be favoring his abdomen…

Had he been in a fight?

Ax scanned the area below her – eagle vision piecing through the veils of dust on the streets as she tried to locate her missing companion. Her breath came quickly – she was anxious… something strange was definitely going on…

That voice though…

Who was the owner of that familiar voice? It was like something from dream… like the shadow of a waking memory… almost too faint to be real. So then, how did she know it?

Whipping her wings in a flurry, Ax vaulted higher into the sky to get a more expansive view of the village. Focusing her sight, she noticed a large dust cloud, shaped like a tornado, filled with silver light near the edge of town… THERE… that HAD to be it!

Ax folded her wings and dove straight for the area, hoping that she wasn't too late for… whatever was going on. Feeling a strong pulse, followed by a sizzle of raw power, she sped up, praying that Jivra was not in the heart of the matter…

… because whatever that silver light was… it didn't bode well.

The young, dark coated man uncrossed his arms from in front of his face and wiped at the trickle of blood from the corner of his mouth. He smiled softly at the memory of blood. After all – how long had it been since someone had actually landed a punch on him? Let alone made him BLEED? He raised his silvery black eyes to the young woman in front of him, who had yet to retract her arm from the vicious punch she had thrown.

He had only just found the core of her soul – the place where the sutra and her life force had melded into one being, when he felt himself getting thrown back by the force of her fist. Jivra panted in effort – the young man was sturdier than he looked – and retrieved her arm, setting herself in the stance for the next attack. The young man continued to smile at her, a glint of ivory teeth showing between his lips.

Just who WAS this guy?

"Excuse ME, Mr. Grabby-hands – but I don't recall getting your name, OR allowing you to grope my chest without permission! Tell me who the hell you are, or prepare to have your ass handed to you on a platter!" Jivra bared her teeth at that final insult, and readied herself for his attack. She was completely taken aback by what he did next.

Releasing an arm from the folds of his strange coat, the blonde and blue haired man crossed it over his chest and bowed low, dipping his head in motion. His stance was flawless, she could tell from years of forced deportment classes by Ax. His grace at holding the bow was effortless, as though it came naturally to him. Jivra merely stared, confused and a little freaked out by this display – people didn't just BOW to people that had just punched them… that was just too weird.

"My apologies, Madmoiselle Telemnar, please forgive my thoughtlessness. You may call me Scythe." His voice flowed over her again, that warm honey feeling becoming more commonplace than it had before… as though she knew him from somewhere. His eyes danced in the midday sun, and Jivra felt her breath catch in her throat – true, she didn't find him particularly appealing, but he WAS attractive. Something about the way he looked at her – as though he were seeing her soul, and conversing with it, rather than with her.

Suddenly, the sun disappeared in a whirl of dust. The young man straightened from his bow and dropped the charming act in a swift movement. "Alright – you know my name, so I don't have to go through all that 'yes, sir' 'no, sir' bullshit again, do I?" Jivra started at the change in his voice – he had gone from honey smooth to deep and rough in a matter of seconds. Was this guy bipolar or something?

The dust continued to whirl around the pair, cocooning them from the outside world. Strangely enough, Jivra was sure it had something to do with him – and was decidedly unhappy about the affair. His demeanor had also changed – gone was the softly smiling gent who had just bowed to her – now there seemed to be an arrogant, uncaring youth in his shoes. What the hell as going on?

"Pardon me, but would you mind STOPPING THIS FREAKING TONADO?" Jivra's voice echoed within the whirling enclosed space, reverberating back to her as though she were in a cave. She covered her ears and winced, glancing up to see what the young man was up to?

"This isn't ME sweet heart, its YOU!" His voice cut through the wind and her consciousness, confusing her thoroughly. What did he mean, it was her? First he blocked her path, then he groped her chest, then she punched him, then they 'exchanged pleasantries', then HE turned freaking schizophrenic on her and now this tornado that came out of nowhere was HER fault? What the HELL was going ON? "Well... I dunno how I did this? Do you?" Her voice was strong and clear, yet held a slightly sulky note, as if she were a child who wasn't being told the whole truth from her parents.

Suddenly, Jivra's token cowboy ha went flying off her head, and floated up to the sky through the funnel above them. Ok. That was the last straw - NOBODY messes with the hat.

"Can't you freaking DO something?" She yelled at Scythe, covering her mouth with one hand as she peered at him through the dust and her own flying hair. He seemed calm (if somewhat lightly annoyed), and she was extremely interested in the fact that despite all the wind and dirt, the young man stood his ground as though he we indoors – not a hair out of place in his head. Not a speck of dust on his coat. Just who WAS this 'Scythe' guy?

"Yeah… look – I'll see what I can do, a'right?" His voice was sharp and cutting - much like his name, and he had a strange, unfamiliar accent within that standard dialect. "You'll need to close your eyes though – you could go blind if you look before I tell you to." His eyes met hers for a moment, and Jivra nodded in agreement, clenching her eyes tightly shut.

A few seconds passed, in which the wind merely gained in strength howling in the street, and starting to suck up debris, causing panic in the local residents who lived in that area. Jivra kept her eyes closed, listening to the screeching wind, hating the sound it made as it ripped and tore its way across the ground – it was too much like an evil force when it did that.

And then…

Light bloomed beyond her eyelids. Brilliant, all consuming light. She gasped, clamping her hands over her eyes so she wouldn't look inadvertently. But oh, how she wanted to – to see what brilliance was taking place in front of her. And she was SURE it was brilliance – as she had not felt a light that pure in many months… not since the day the dragon had escaped her.

Jivra felt the wind slow, and decline. Listened as the shrieks faded to hollow howls of breeze, and tasted nothing but clean air, instead of dirt and sand. The tornado had been stopped – and not just ANYONE could do that. Beyond her eyelids she saw the light fading, and knew she had to see before it was too late. Just what HAD Scythe done? Did he have a scripture? A talisman? A crystal of some sort? It had to be holy – there was no other way…

Squinting through nearly closed eyes, Jivra peeked at the young man who had so suddenly disrupted her afternoon. She locked her gaze on him, and unseeingly widened her eyes, gaping at the sight in front of her. His tanned chest, toned abdomen and long, muscled arms… and also…

Her lips parted, allowing a few syllables to escape, at which he whirled around to glare at her, eyes scathing in their anger…

"Why… you're…a…" she whispered, unbelievingly….


	3. Maeth Attack!

Hakkai sprinted through the streets, his long slim legs taking him quickly to the source of the disturbance that he felt so clearly. Goku bolted in behind him, meat bun in mouth, and an annoyed expression on his face from being dragged so suddenly from his food.

Hakkai had seen the shadow, and instantly knew it as Ax's Maeth form. Knowing that she had transformed instantly put him on guard, not because he was afraid of her, but because whatever had caused her to transform and expose herself so openly in the daylight hours could only mean one thing: Big trouble with Jivra. Not just that, but mere moments after he had seen her, he felt an enormous jolt along the natural waves of energy flowing in the air. Indeed, those same waves seemed to be getting pulled off in the direction that Ax had flown – so, without another thought, Hakkai yelled at Goku to follow him and raced off in the direction of this new 'wrongness'.

Rounding a last corner, the tall, brown haired man came upon a most unusual sight: Ax, in her Maeth form, towering over an extremely tall youth wearing a long black jacket, who was standing, looking into her eyes in boredom, as though her terrifying countenance was nothing to be impressed over. Jivra was behind Ax, gingerly getting to her feet, and scowling at all the dust on her clothes. Hakkai coughed, realizing just how MUCH dust there was floating in the air – what on earth had happened here?

"Ax! What the HELL do you think you're doing – knocking me over and exposing yourself like this?" Jivra's growling yell caught the vampires' attention, but she never broke gaze with the strange haired man. She hissed at him softly, warning him off. He merely snorted and shifted his shoulders inside his oddly shaped coat, his attitude pissing her off even more.

"Give me one reason why I shouldn't rip you limb from limb?" She growled, expanding her wings further, making herself appear huge. Scythe merely sighed and shook his head, unwilling to answer. Ax's fury blazed in her eyes, and she bared her fangs at him in challenge.

WHACK

A solid sidekick connected with the vampires ribs, pushing her a good meter or two back from her rival. Snarling in anger, she whipped around to find who had interfered. Not that she was hurt – her Maeth form could take a significant pounding – but the fact that someone had distracted her was severely annoying. Red eyes locked onto blue ones.

Ah. Jivra.

Ax sighed and shrugged her shoulders, slowly transforming back into her human form. A slight blush rose on her cheeks as she faced a furious Jivra. True, when she had eagle-dived out of the sky, she had knocked the girl down (right as she was getting to her feet), then had proceeded to ignore her as she challenged a complete stranger. That did kind of deserve some kind of retaliation – even among family.

"Well for one thing – if you tried to you would find it incredibly difficult." Scythe's voice cut between the staring contest of the two 'women'. He sounded bored and annoyed – as though this whole thing had been an inconvenience that they had place on him – instead of the other way around. Jivra broke her fierce glare away from a much more recalcitrant Ax, and hissed at the coated individual. Scythe merely twitched his lips in a half smile and pulled his coat tighter around him.

Jivra felt the rage building inside her. She felt hot blue light pushing from behind her eyes, begging for release against the one who had caused such strong emotions in her. "Just why were you after me, vampire?"

She heard two gasps from behind her, and noted Ax's stiffened shoulders in her peripheral vision. Still – better they all find out what they're up against before trying to kill him…ah… it. Indeed – Jivra remembered it clearly…

*flashback*

"Can't you freaking DO something?" She yelled

"Yeah… look – I'll see what I can do, a'right?" His voice was sharp and cutting - much like his name, and he had a strange, unfamiliar accent within that standard dialect. "You'll need to close your eyes though – you could go blind if you look before I tell you to." His eyes met hers for a moment, and Jivra nodded in agreement, clenching her eyes tightly shut.

Squinting through nearly closed eyes, Jivra peeked at the young man who had so suddenly disrupted her afternoon. She locked her gaze on him, and unseeingly widened her eyes, gaping at the sight in front of her. His tanned chest, toned abdomen and long, muscled arms… and also…

Her lips parted, allowing a few syllables to escape, at which he whirled around to glare at her, eyes scathing in their anger…

"Why… you're…a…" she whispered, unbelievingly….

The wings that rose from his shoulder blades were enormous. Bat like in their construction, yet with the color fading from a deep, sparkling black at the joints to a light, shining silver at the tips. They had surrounded his body, making an illusion that he was wearing a 'coat'. Underneath that, his chest and back was bare, baring a few scars that spoke of hard times- like so many others. He wore light silver blue jeans held up by a plain brown belt – but no shoes. On his left forearm, he wore a green band or some strange design. And around his neck…

Jivra had to do a double take… was he wearing… a collar? It was black with silver spikes, and based on the comfort with which he wore it, it must have been some time since he had taken it off. She took in this whole scene in a heartbeat, before she found herself being shoved to the ground by an extremely over protective, maeth formed guardian.

*end flashback*

Jivra had been around long enough to know that anything with wings was A: Not human, and B: 99% of the time, a vampire. The only other type of creature with batwings was the occasional youkai, or the beings she had seen from picture books as a child. Beings of light and fire. Beings of shadow. Angels. Demons. Devils.

Based on her assessment of the situation, Jivra had called him out, labeling him as a vampire. Now it was HIS turn to explain himself… and to explain how he could tolerate daylight…

"You're a vampire?" Ax asked, her breath coming out in short, sharp gasps, "From which clan?" Her voice sounded low and dangerous….

"I am not a vampire, a nosferatu or a homonus nocturna… whatever." Scythe replied, causing a snort from Jivra, and raised brows from the other two spectators of this little chat, Hakkai and Goku. "Oh really?" Jivra asked, smirking, "then what are you, batboy – a werewolf?"She snorted at his expression of disgust.

"Please – you don't honestly believe in werewolves, do you?" He sneered and ruffled his coat. Ax took a step back, making sure Jivra was safely behind her. She didn't trust this guy… he was too… too… - She sniffed the air – too strange. His scent was unlike anything she knew, and Jivra had called him 'vampire' and 'batboy' – did he have wings somewhere? Was he hiding them beneath that strange coat?

"You didn't answer the question." The soft voice that came up the alley was followed by a sinister emerald gaze, and a placid, smiling face. Scythe frowned in the direction of the tall dark haired man – he didn't want to get anymore people involved than was necessary. Why was this man interrupting? And why did that little boy behind him look so familiar, too? He quickly closed his eyes and reached out in his mind – reading their souls. Opening his eyes, he responded to the mans question in kind.

"I didn't intend to, Cho Gonou –" Hakkai visibly jerked at the old name "- so why do you want to know so badly?" His gaze shifted to the smaller figure behind Hakkai, and a single graceful eyebrow raised slowly. "And I see you also like to collect animals. Monkeys… bats…" he indicated from Goku to Ax in turn. Goku choked on his meat bun, effectively silencing his protests, while Ax's face turned a violent shade of red, and emitted a strange squealing noise, somewhere between a yell and a scream. Scythe smirked at their reactions.

Jivra kept staring at the young man, her eyes never leaving his face as he barbed her companions. Why was he here? He still hadn't answered! And yet, here he was, surrounded by a vampire, two youkai and a half-angel, swapping insults as if it was the most natural thing in the world – had he no sense of self preservation? Then again, if his physical appearance was anything to go by, he probably suited this group more than many others.

Scythe glance at Jivra, and twitched under her scrutiny. Shit. This was more attention than he wanted, and if he tried to take her now, he would have to most likely injure or kill her friends just to get by. Not that he was squeamish, but unnecessary killing was always avoidable in his books. Mostly. Sighing to himself, the blonde and blue haired man bowed his head and muttered softly, the dusty air carrying his words only to the smallest of their number. Goku jerked visibly, as though struck by an invisible paper fan.

Closing his eyes suddenly, he looked to all appearances as though he had gone to sleep. Hakkai, sensing something was not right, turned to Goku to warn him, only to notice the younger man was crouched in the dust, hands around his knees, watching the stranger with a bizarre and completely 'un-Goku-like' compulsion. Confused, the emerald eyed man whipped his head back around just in time to see a vision-disturbing black light envelop the accused 'vampire', caressing him like a cat, then shrinking back to nothingness, taking the black coated man with it.

Ax shouted out in anger, her nose in the air, sniffing wildly, trying to catch a scent of the extremely confusing and remarkably mysterious stranger. She gave up with a scowl, later informing everyone that all she smelt was a faint hint of ash and violets. Jivra frowned in thought, her eyes travelling across the space to the golden orbs of her seemingly stupefied companion. Walking over slowly, as Ax and Hakkai began a heated debate about what to do next, she crouched down in front of the small dark haired saru.

"Hey, you alright, Kid?" She asked gruffly. When he didn't answer immediately, she asked again. After a few seconds, Goku blinked, looked at Jivra in surprise and replied "Hey… Jivra. You know what?" He stood up quickly "I'm HUUUUUNGRY!" Jivra's forehead ticked in annoyance. Hakkai and Ax led the way back to the inn, trailing a hungry monkey and an annoyed young woman.

"Shit." Scythe leaned against a wall contemplating the recent state of events. He had finally found the solution – the clean getaway plan – in this young woman. But unfortunately, it rejected him. The reaction to him trying to read her soul had caused the sutra's power within her to flare up, physically reacting with the most immediate element – air. Fortunately, He had been able to neutralize it due to his own affinity with that element. However, had they been anywhere else – say, deep water for example – they would probably both have been killed.

Not just that, but in the small glimpse he had of her soul, he had realized that the sutra was so deeply infused, that to remove it would be to kill the girl. And he DID need it removed to obtain his desire. He growled at his own stupidity for confronting the girl in such an obvious place – he had been so eager that he had gone charging in like some first season rookie. He slapped a hand to his face and pushed off the wall, walking slowly down the alleyway, heading back to the forest for the night.

"Tomorrow." He thought, "I'll try again tomorrow."

End chapter 3


	4. Furious tears

Jivra stormed into her room, slamming the door with an almighty bang. Pacing furiously, she caught a glimpse of her face in the mirror – it was dead calm. As still as the air in the room. She sighed, knowing she had practiced long and hard to control her emotions – at least externally. But that didn't stop her from being frustrated beyond reason.

How dare that pitiful excuse for a half-breed lay hands on her? What was his name? Sass? Kite? Scythe! That was it. Scythe – she'd remember that name – she needed to, so she could exact justice on that ass. A gentle knock echoed out. "C'mon in Ax, it's alright." Jivra said wearily. She was in no mood for company, but she couldn't turn Ax away if she tried. She was her chosen 'sister' – her companion. Her best friend. And they knew more about each other than anyone else.

"Jiv – I just wanted to say… that is… I mean…" She stumbled over the words, not quite sure what to say, "I'm sorry I wasn't there to help you." Yes. That sounded right. Jivra Smiled crookedly at her friend, her frustration dying away at that huge emerald gaze that showed so much love for her. "It's no problem – I'm not mad at you for not being there. Not at all." She paused, and a half joking/half serious tone entered her voice, "But what was with leaving me alone with that _monk_?" She scrutinized Ax carefully, watching the small, self-conscious grin and the way her eyes avoided Jivra's gaze. "Oh… well, I guess I just forgot when I wandered off to do some shopping."

Jivra snorted. Shopping – my ass, she was shopping! She could read that self-satisfied glance in the dark!

"Anyway – I wanna tell the guys about this. It looks like someone might be trailing us now, and they deserve a warning. Besides that, Gojyo or Sanzo might actually know this guy." It was unlikely, but it was worth a try. Straightening her clothes, and brushing off the dust, she strode to the door and held it open for her friend, a small smile on her lips as she passed an elegant bow – much as a court gentlemen would hold the door of a carriage for a lady. Ax giggled and curtsied (which looked strange without the billowing dress – but she pulled it wonderfully) and took Jivra's offered arm. Together, they left the room and meandered down to the dining room below, laughing and chatting as though nothing had changed.

Sanzo had spent the afternoon alone in his room. He had considered what Gojyo said – an unusual past time, as he rarely took anything the kappa said seriously. But something in his words stuck in his thoughts. He was right. He needed to keep the girls around. She was a living Sutra, and as a Sanzo priest it was his job to care for and protect the Sutra's. He raised his eyes to the roof, as though praying – if only it were easier – if only the Sutra was on a piece of parchment instead of residing in a woman. And not just any woman – THIS woman. This incomprehensible, mysterious, bold woman.

He took a long drag on his cigarette – it was clear to him now that he had to keep a closer eye on her. No more letting her wander off on her own. No more night time vigils and walks alone. He would have to keep up his guard. Because if anyone else ever found out about her 'gift'… there would be trouble. And if she died, there was no way to determine that the sutra wouldn't die too – and return to heaven to reside there. He grunted as he realized the sun was setting – it was time for dinner. At least he could get the news and find out how Hakkai had kept the monkey out of trouble for the whole day. Fixing his robes, and adjusting them just so, the blonde headed man stubbed his cigarette and exited his room, almost stepping on Gojyo.

"Hey! Watch it, man!" The Kappa said loudly, stumbling back a bit so he could avoid the inevitable fan smack. "Well maybe if you used those antennae of yours to sense when you're in someone's way, this kind of thing wouldn't happen." The monk's cutting remark had the Kappa spluttering and scowling, and with a satisfied grin, he strode past and headed to the dining room, the redhead following with a muttered curse.

Finding an empty seat and ordering a beer was first on Sanzo's list of priorities. The last was running smack into the woman he had just been thinking about as he came to the dining area. Funny how fate works such things…

"Argh! Watch it, blondie!" Jivra snarled, trying to disentangle herself from his billowing sleeves. Her hips were pressed against him, as she leaned back in effort to get free. Sanzo stayed still, a murderous glare on his face, "Why is _everyone_ determined to run into me today?" He snarled, whipping around to leave just as Jivra got free, causing her to stagger back into Ax, only her catlike grace saving her from falling on her arse. She hissed and followed after him, determined to give him a piece of her mind.

It was at that point that a small hurricane hit Sanzo in his midsection, causing him to stagger slightly. The priest felt his rage boil over as he stared down at the young baka who had barreled into him unknowingly. "Uh… hi Sanzo! Is it time to eat yet?" His expectant face turned fearful as the mighty fan of doom descended without warning.

Leaving the monk and his charge, the two women and Gojyo waved to Hakkai, who was sitting at a table at the far end of the room, and sauntered over to join him. The company sat and ate, eventually being joined by their other two (slightly bruised) members. Once the meal was done, Hakkai cleared his throat and politely and succinctly advised Sanzo and Gojyo of the mornings events from his point of view. Ax took over at one point and began spilling her tale. It was then up to Jivra to describe her assailant, as she had seen him alone, and had spoken to him more.

"He had wings? What? Like an angel?" Gojyo asked, his curiosity overtaking his natural urge to fondle Ax's leg when she lost concentration. "No, more like a giant , silvery… bat." Ax replied – confusion in her words.

"But he said he wasn't a vampire. So you don't recognize him?" Sanzo asked, his question directed at the crimson haired woman. Ax turned steely eyes to Sanzo, "No – and if I did, he wouldn't be walking this earth right now." Sanzo nodded, content that there was no immediate connection he should be concerned about. But he did feel validated – he knew that sooner or later trouble would come. Jivra was a living beacon of holy power – the sutra's energy flowed from her even now. Those who actually knew why were all within their group… but somehow… this guy…

"He said something to Goku too – seemed to have him spooked." Jivra mentioned, eyes travelling to the smallest member of their group. Goku looked up, confused. "What do you mean?" He asked.

"Well, you went all quiet, and calm - "

"Which is weird." Piped Gojyo

" – and you seemed to only focus on him alone – "

"Which is really weird." Gojyo again.

"And you didn't even try to fight him, or call in your weapon."

"Which is just freakin' strange – ARGH!"

That time, Sanzo smacked him over the head with the harisen – shutting him up. Jivra looked at Sanzo, a grin in her eyes – he glanced back, humor dancing in his gaze. Then they realized who they were each looking at, and turned away quickly, hoping no one noticed.

"Do you remember what he said to you, Goku?" Hakkai asked, his gaze serious. The monkey looked at him in confusion and replied, "Well sort of, I don't remember the words, but I remember what it felt like. It was Like I'd met him before – like I KNOW I've met him before… but I was really young. Smaller than when Sanzo found me. I don't remember where we were, but there was a lot of light, and someone laughing. I think… I think it was from before I was put in the dark place." His words echoed in the dull room.

"That's impossible." Gojyo said woodenly. "If you knew that guy from all the way back then… that would make him centuries old – probably even older than you!" Jivra nodded, "But that just makes him even more dangerous. We should keep our wits about us when we get on the road tomorrow." Everyone nodded and left the table, heading back to their rooms to pack and get back on the road in the morning. Walking last through the corridor, Jivra was startled when a hand snaked out, grasped her by the arm and pulled her into a room. Gasping in shock, she whirled to face… Sanzo. He closed the door gently as she started berating him.

"Just what the hell, Monk? What the big idea, huh?" Her arm hurt and she was already on edge from earlier – his little 'surprise attack' certainly didn't help. She glared at him as he crossed his arms and took a step closer to her, invading her personal space. Her eyes widened as he leaned down close to her, his violet eye shadowed. 'Why is my heart beating so fast?' She thought, panic in her throat. He opened his mouth, and she felt the bottom drop out of her stomach…

"Just what THE HELL did you think you were doing, running off into a deserted part of town like that?" His roar echoed in the small room. Jivra reeled back, shock ripping through her as the furious monk exploded in front of her. "Are you INSANE? You're carrying something irreplaceable inside you, and you just decide to _stroll_ through an unknown territory? Gods, woman! Where have you put your commonsense? Did it all escape with the damn dragon? I mean yo-"

SMACK.

Jivra lowered her now stinging hand, furious eyes holding back the tears she never realized she was carrying. Sanzo's face was pointing toward the left hand side of the room, his hair covering his eyes and his cheek turning a bright red color.

"Maybe… if you hadn't been such an ass, maybe I wouldn't have felt the need to be alone. Maybe, if you cared a bit less about the Sutra, and a bit more about_ me_ you could have followed, and been there for me when I actually might have needed you." She felt a tear escape her eyes and flee down her cheek. She angrily rubbed her arm across her face and turned, grasping the handle to leave the room. A strong callused palm on her shoulder stopped her.

"Jivra… wait."

His voice was quiet, and as she turned, she saw his eyes plead with her to stay. She turned from him and shook her head, running from the room as fast as she could. Confused, anguished emotions ran through her head, making her feel sick and giddy at the same time. Reaching her door, she burst into the room and flung herself on the bed, ignoring Ax's startled cry. Burying her face in her pillow, Jivra breathed heavily, not allowing another tears to escape as she fell into a fitful and dreamless sleep.

End Chapter 4…


	5. Rift

Jivra awoke suddenly, body tense, senses alert. There was someone in her room. Someone NOT Ax….

*scuffle shuffle whisper*

She relaxed as she recognized the clumsy sneaking's of the monkey trying to raid her supply of travelling goodies. All good… only Goku…

WHAT?

Grabbing her pillow in one fist, and sitting up while swinging her arm in a single motion, she managed to clobber the irritable monkey in a single swipe, nearly knocking him unconscious from the force of her blow. Tumbling end over end with a loud squawk, the poor primate sat, eyes swirling against the wall on the other side of the room. "Pfft, serves you right." Jivra grumbled, out of patience already. Standing up from her bed and stretching languorously, she walked to the bathroom to relieve herself.

Standing in front of the vanity mirror, she washed her face thoroughly, noting the dark circles under her eyes from lack of sleep. Her thoughts had been swirling last night, going over the day's events, her mind's eye fabricating all kinds of other possibilities for the situations she had found herself in. Who was that guy from yesterday? He sounded foreign. And what about after that, with Sanzo? When he grabbed her, she felt a strange fluttering in her gut, not unlike that other time… and she had slapped him!

Giving herself a mental punch in the arm, Jivra still couldn't believe he hadn't slapped her right back. Sanzo wasn't one to hold back after taking a strike, regardless if it was a woman or not. After that first hit, her mind was too hazy from anger to realize that had circumstances been different, the two of them probably would have ended up in a fist fight. Sighing gustily, she pushed away from the sink and sauntered back into the room, stuffing her few meager belongings and half eaten treats (thanks, Monkey boy...) back into her small bag.

Sitting down on her bed, she grabbed one boot and turned it upside down, removing any small stones that might irritate her foot later in the day. Just as she was stuffing her foot in, a loud groan from the other bed caught her attention. An evil smile formed on her lips as she eyed her half-awake companion. Now, Jivra didn't like to consider herself an evil person… but when someone left themselves so wide open like that….

Grabbing her pillow from the bed, and the one from the floor, she crept quietly up to Ax and carefully placed them in a spooning position around the back of the vamp. Walking to the door, she checked behind her to make sure that Ax still wasn't fully awake, but that she was aware of the pressure at her back. Opening the door fully, she slammed it shut with a table rattling BANG! Ax's eyes flew open, staring straight at Jiv. Jivra, for her part, stared behind Ax in horror, then pointed an accusing finger at the carefully placed pillows outside Ax's line of vision and cried loudly:

"What the hell is he doing here? GOJYO?"

At that last word, Ax shrieked like a banshee and jerked wildly, elbows and fists punching behind her frantically, as she tried to escape the 'clutches' of the 'fake Gojyo' Jivra had put behind her. Jumping out of bed, panting slightly and staring in confusion at the disheveled bed clothes, Ax let out a relieved sigh. She was sure she would have noticed if that hot blooded kappa had climbed into bed with her, but still, feeling that pressure spooning her back, and then Jivra's shocked face and exclamation – well, what was she to think but that he had somehow surprised her?

Hearing a snicker behind her, she rounded on Jivra, who was quietly doubled over in laughter, one hand over her mouth, the other holding her belly as she tried to cover the laughter she held over the prank she had just played on her friend. Ax growled in anger, and raised clawed hands in a strangling gesture as she moved towards the giggle ridden girl. Jivra wiped her eyes and stood up straight, still laughing softly. Ax snarled and leapt for her.

"Ah, ah, ah," Jivra said admonishingly, wagging a finger at her, "THAT was payback for yesterday."

Her words stopped the vamp in mid leap, and she lowered her hands with a guilty look on her face, and she smiled shyly at her friend.

Ok… perhaps she had deserved that.

Silver eyes pierced across the deserted town, capturing everything in their gaze. A sigh escaped from soft lips as the morning sun crept quietly over the horizon.

"Tonight. Tonight will prove if I'm right." The soft voice rolled through the still morning air, not even startling the birds from their song. The young man with the two toned hair stood his ground against the urge to move immediately, his training taking hold of his impatience and wrestling it to submission. Shrugging his shoulders inside his 'coat', Scythe took a hesitant step forward, almost as though his body was unwilling to move. He scowled at his own stupidity.

It was just one girl. He only had to kill one girl. What was so big about that? Why was he so concerned? He had killed before. It wasn't hard. It wasn't even that important. Sharp, dark brows furrowed in confusion as he re-thought his actions for the umpteenth time. Was he sure he could do this? Throw away his morals for the chance of freedom? Throw away his beliefs on something he wasn't even 100% sure about?

Could he really kill a living sutra?

Sanzo raised a calloused palm to his forehead and swept the bangs back from his face in a slow motion. Looking in the mirror, he realized the palm shaped mark on his face was gone, and he grunted in satisfaction.

Damn that woman. How dare she lay a hand on him? Who did she think she was? Why hadn't he struck her back? He scowled at himself, and turned away, exiting the room in a flurry of anger and white linen. He supposed it was because she had tears in her eyes. No, that wasn't it – he didn't care the reason when he was hit – he would _always _hit back.

Then why?

Did he perhaps have…?

No. ridiculous. The girl was a pain. Nothing but a walking disaster… yet a disaster he had to keep a very close eye on now. He felt trepidation creep up his shoulders like a cold chill as he realized how closely he would have to follow Jivra now that it was obvious more people than they thought knew about her sutra… problem.

Reaching the entrance to the inn, he noticed everyone was outside already waiting for him. He took his time getting in the jeep, not even glancing at Jivra as he pulled out a cigarette and lit it slowly, allowing the time to pass. He heard the beast beside the jeep growl and realized everyone was waiting to get on the road. Even the monkey was quiet. Taking a cursory look, he noticed Goku had a meat bun in his mouth and was chewing happily. Gojyo seemed lost in thought, and Hakkai was murmuring softly to Hakuryuu – seemingly ignoring him.

Behind him, Ax turned to watch her friend fidget uncomfortably, looking this way and that, searching their bags and even in between Artemis' wings. Teu, who had been spending time with Hakuryuu since the previous afternoon chirped questioningly from his position on Arty's head. Ax echoed her, "Hey Jiv… um, what are you doing?"

"I'm looking for my goddamn hat!" Came the irritated reply. Ax merely shook her head and turned forward again, ignoring the girl – if she was going to snap over her silly cowboy hat then there was no talking to her until she calmed down. Jivra's hands became more and more frantic as she realized it wasn't with them. She had already checked the room prior to leaving, and was certain it wasn't there. Suddenly, it clicked. The whirlwind. The damn attack from yesterday – her hat had flown off in that! Scowling and cursing, the dark haired girl gripped her ride more thoroughly and turned her mind to thoughts of torture upon the young winged attacker from yesterday.

He'd pay for making her lose her hat!

Sanzo finished his cigarette and threw the stub out the side. "Let's go." Came the command, and the group responded, heading out immediately.

It was going to be a long day.

They travelled till lunch, not stopping as they munched on pre-packed supplies thanks to Hakkai's ingenuity. However, it wasn't enough for Goku. It never was. "Sanzooooooo! Harehetttaaaaaaa!" The monkey whined plaintively, his cry nearly being outdone by his belly growling. "Urasai." Sanzo muttered, chugging away on a new cigarette like a lifeline. Gojyo repeated the monkey, "C'mon man! Let's take a break! I need booze! And food! And women!" His last cry carried on the wind, and beside them, Ax scowled under her fringe, teeth bared in irritation. She had hoped that after their little rendezvous yesterday (regardless of the interruption) that Gojyo's mind would be filled with thoughts of her, not just any other women. If only she could read minds, she would have known the truth.

The party stopped shortly after sunset, the sky still light enough to set up camp, as they were still another day to the next village. Pitching tents and setting up the latrines and fire was now second nature to all of them, and was done rather quickly. Settling in for a quiet night, a stew bubbling over the fire, the group finally relaxed with only the banter between Goku and Gojyo over who was going to eat the most disturbing still of the night. No one suspected a thing. Jivra lay quietly among the leaves, not to close to the fire, but relaxing as she gazed upon the stars. Her eyes narrowed as a shadow covered her favorite star, and a small gasp escaped her lips as she realized what it was.

Silently dropping from the sky like a bird of ill omen, Scythe landed directly between the fire and Jivra, wings remaining outstretched, and ominous. The glow from the fire illuminated his hair and silhouetted his body, making him look like a haloed demon. Jivra scrambled back, mind racing as she fought to calm herself. Ax leapt forward, teeth bared. Sanzo swiftly began pulling his gun from his robes as Goku, Gojyo and Hakkai got to their feet, ready to attack.

The winged man smiled at Jivra, silver eyes shining out from the patch of darkness that was his face. "Hello, sparky." He purred, his nickname for her due to her burning ability against males who touched without her consent. His voice was soft and low, with a hint of a growl, that strange accent once again penetrating her thoughts. Jivra's eyes narrowed and she growled at him, ready to fight him hand to hand if that's what it took. Before she or anyone could make a move, he flicked his fingers, and a strong wind enveloped the campsite, putting out the fire and tugging Jivra off the ground and towards her assailant.

Reaching out long, wiry arms, the young man pulled her into his grasp, his arms capturing hers so she wouldn't hit him, and jumped, wings catching the breeze and swiftly rising into the sky, as though pulled up by an invisible wire. Jivra screamed out in anger, furious that he could just grab her like that. Cocking a knee, she sent it flying between his legs, intending to rob him of the ability to father offspring. After all… he had robbed her of her hat.

Shifting swiftly, he placed his feet on the air to his left and ran sideways, as though running up a wall in mid-air. Jivra shrieked as she realized she was still dangling vertically over 200 feet above the ground, held only by her shoulders, whereas he had flipped over her in what she considered a mid air cartwheel. Landing back in front of her and gripping her so they were chest to chest, her arms captured between them, he looked down into her eyes, a scowl on his face. "If you do that again, I won't just make you miss trying to knee me – I'll knee you back." His voice was low and dark – but more annoyed than angry. They flew for all of five minutes before a soft flapping reached their ears.

Turning his head and looking over his shoulder, he saw a large white bat shape flying out of the darkness, followed by a smudge of darkness almost double in size. Ah – that would be the vampire. But what was that…? As they caught up, he recognized the figure of a raun, and grinned. It had been _centuries_ since he'd last come to blows with a raun – and each time, he managed to get a pretty decent fight out of it too – hardly needing to hold back at all. He chanced another look and his smile grew. It was a BIG raun… that would be fun.

Speeding up to gain some distance between them, he turned his head as Jivra raised her voice to him over the howling wind. "You know, once they catch up to us, I'm pretty sure you're going to regret this... _many_ times over." Her voice was tart, with a hint of breathlessness. Scythe just grinned, his shark like teeth, enjoying the feeling of the wind in his face as he faced forward to the never ending darkness, lit only by the half covered moon.

"Yes," He replied, laughter in his voice, "I suppose I would… IF they could catch me." Jivra looked up to him angrily, questions in her eyes – how on earth did he plan to evade two of the most ruthless airborne hunters in Shangrila? As if answering her unspoken question, he reached out a clawed hand, pressing his fingers straight ahead, as though he were diving into a pool. The girl looked on in shock as a bright silver glow erupted around his hand an arm. The glow stayed close to his skin, covering his arm from fingertip to elbow as its light slowly dug into the darkness, slicing it apart.

_He's opening a rift…_ she thought, eyes wide in surprise.

Scythe reached out further, and in a quick vertical slash of his arm, cut through the night sky, opening a hole even more pitch black than the heavens above them. Blasting hot air accosted them, and he quickly zipped through the opening.

"SHIT!" Ax screamed as she saw the rift in space open 50 feet ahead of her. She sped up, fully intending to follow through the gap – but as she approached, the wound in the sky began to stitch itself back up again. She heard Artemis roar in defiance behind her as the rift fully closed, leaving only the calm, still night behind them. The maeth formed vampire bared her teeth and snarled into the night in defiance, muscles tense as she refused to accept this defeat. Her face scrunched in frustration and harsh cry left her lips as tears formed in her eyes.

He had Jivra now… and there was nothing they could do about it.

END CHAPTER 5


	6. Abducted

The forest was quiet. Only the sound of a few crickets pierced the night air. A soft breeze drifted through the lower branches of the surrounding trees, wandering idly. It drifted at a slow pace, loving the night, as breezes do, and reveling in the silence… wait… what was all that _noise_? The breeze wafted further, entering into a large pool of fast paced shadows. It stuttered to a halt, and uttered a sigh as it was torn apart by the shifting bodies moving in the clearing.

"What the hell?" Gojyo shouted as Ax's maeth formed disappeared into the canopy after the swiftly disappearing figures of Jivra and her abductee. Hakkai shifted quietly, his rigid form a testament to his hidden anger and frustration. Goku had his face scrunched up in fury, his nyoi-bo clenched uselessly in his fists – fists that shook with restrained anger. His growling cry echoed into the night – and for a moment after, there was silence. Goku felt pain in his chest… pain he hadn't felt since the last time Sanzo had been nearly killed. It wasa strange kind of pain. It made him want to go out and fight, so that any wounds he might receive would let the pain leak out. But there was no one to fight. The person he wanted to attack was the same person he had a feeling he _shouldn't _be attacking- yet he couldn't figure out why. With a frustrated sigh, he turned to the monk. "Sanzo! Shouldn't we go after them? I mean, c'mon! He just swooped in and took her! Let's GO already!" He looked around anxiously, realizing neither Hakkai nor Gojyo had moved either.

"Goku, they have taken to the air – and no-one… _no-one_ is more deadly in that element than Miss Ax. I think we should leave it up to her. Not to mention, they went straight up – if we could see which direction they were headed we could follow, but we can't. And besides, the Jeep can't fly." Hakkai was quiet and crisp, his voice not nearly as soothing as it usually was. He quickly moved to the still smoldering fire and re- lit it, filling the clearing with light. Gojyo glanced at him sharply, understanding that his friend was holding onto his emotions with a tight leash. The redhead inhaled quickly, lighting a cigarette and sitting back down. "Hey, Monkey," he baited, trying to get Goku to turn his frustrations towards him, "Ax'll get 'em back – and when she does, she's gonna know she left us right here – if we move they might have trouble finding us in the dark." He knew that was nigh impossible, but still, it was a better argument than saying 'there's nothing we can do.' "So, we'll just sit tight, and be ready for when they get back, K?" He raised his brows at Hakkai, indicating to the brunette to follow his lead.

Hakkai hesitated then sat down stiffly, his voice adding to Gojyo's placating campaign, "Hai, Goku – let us wait. When they get back, they're probably going to want to either rest or get straight back on the road – so we'd better be ready." He crossed his legs and raised his eyes to the still standing, still silent blonde on the other side of the campfire. "Come, Sanzo. Sit and wait with us – there is nothing more we can do at this point." His tone held an edge, as though his query was more of a demand than a request. The monk turned as Goku finally sat down next to Gojyo, vanishing his staff. Green eyes met violet, and the anger was evident in both. After a few tense minutes, Sanzo huffed, and angrily stalked off into the trees beyond the fire light.

"Sanzo!" Goku cried, jumping up to run after him. A callused hand stopped him, guiding himback o his seat. "Let him go, Goku," the Kappa said softly, using a more gentle tone than the monkey had ever heard. "He just needs time to think. He'll be back soon."

Leaves crunched under heavy footsteps and white robes snagged repeatedly on low branches as Sanzo stalked furiously through the darkened forest. His fists were clenched at his sides as he suddenly stopped beside a huge sycamore tree. Turning swiftly, he punched the trunk of the tree hard, splitting a knuckle and removing a small chunk of bark. Leaving his fist planted against the wood, the blonde gritted his teeth anger seeping from his pores as he relived the moment over and over again…

_Silently dropping from the sky like a bird of ill omen, he landed directly between the fire and Jivra, wings remaining outstretched, and ominous. The glow from the fire illuminated his hair and silhouetted his body, making him look like a haloed demon. Jivra scrambled back, mind racing as she fought to calm herself. Ax leapt forward, teeth bared. Sanzo swiftly began pulling his gun from his robes as Goku, Gojyo and Hakkai got to their feet, ready to attack. _

_The winged man smiled at Jivra, silver eyes shining out from the patch of darkness that was his face. "Hello, sparky." He purred, his nickname for her due to her burning ability against males who touched without her consent. His voice was soft and low, with a hint of a growl, that strange accent once again penetrating her thoughts. Jivra's eyes narrowed and she growled at him, ready to fight him hand to hand if that's what it took. Before she or anyone could make a move, he flicked his fingers, and a strong wind enveloped the campsite, putting out the fire and tugging Jivra off the ground and towards her assailant. _

_Reaching out long, wiry arms, the young man pulled her into his grasp, his arms capturing hers so she wouldn't hit him, and jumped, wings catching the breeze and swiftly rising into the sky, as though pulled up by an invisible wire…_

Sanzo clenched his eyes shut, mind swiftly going over the event to try and figure any moment that something could have been done to stop the abduction. Nothing. There was no way for them to predict that that… thing was going to attack this night. They were vigilant, yes, but not mind readers. But still – they should have realized! After one failed attack yesterday, of _course_ he would be back for another go tonight!

The monk pounded on himself mercilessly, knowing that his decision to watch over her as a living sutra was now being challenged. He raised his head and removed his fist from the tree, straightening his robes and pulling a cigarette from his sleeve. Lighting it, he took a deep drag and stared into the sky, knowing that she was already out of his reach. "Where are you… woman?" He breathed.

The question hung in the night air, only to be carried off by a soft breeze, searching quietly for its sibling.

Minutes passed, till shouts reached his ears, turning, he swiftly ran back to the clearing, spotting the familiar forms of Ax and Artemis through the trees. By the time he arrived on the scene, they had fully transformed back. His eyes searched swiftly: No Jivra. His gut clenched as he realized what that could mean.

Ax dropped to the her knees before the fire, fists pounding the ground as she sobbed harshly. No tears fell, but the racking sounds of her grief caused each of the men to fear the worst, Gojyo walked around the light and came to kneel beside the sobbing woman. He placed a gentle hand on her back, and was shocked when she suddenly reared up and clung to him, holding him for all she was worth. Gojyo choked slightly, then quickly put his arms around her, allowing her to use him as a release for her pent up anguish. Artemis cawed off to the side, perched as he was on a small bush. Teyuu and Hakuryuu fluttered over from their posts beside the tents to talk with the obviously rattled raven. Their small peeps and cackles were the only thing to be heard beyond the occasional sound from Ax.

Minutes later, the red head finally pried herself off her man pillow, and quickly sat up, wiping her eyes as best she could. She looked around at the men who were eyeing her blankly, not knowing quite how to word what had happened. "Ax?" Goku said, a question in his tone. "Miss Ax, what.." "What happened?" Sanzo interrupted Hakkai, his voice gruff and forceful. The vamp looked at him and began to relate her incident, eyes never leaving his as she described the events.

"…And the worst part is, because he opened a rift in time and space – we have absolutely NO idea where they might be, they could be in Europe for all we know." She finished softly. Artemis flew away from his small friends and fluttered onto her shoulder, silently running his beak through her hair, preening her in a comforting way he sometimes did when she was feeling down. A small smile ghosted onto her lips, and she raised a hand to pet her faithful bird. Silence followed her small speech as each of the men digested her words.

_No idea where they might be…_

Sanzo gritted his teeth and turned, stalking into his tent without another word. He wasn't going to accept that. There was no way he was going to let _another _sutra get taken from him, along with the life of the person who guarded it.

Hot air grated across her skin, shearing her self-control, and causing her to cry out in pain. Silver eyes glanced at her, and suddenly the hot air was gone, replaced by a recurring current of cool wind sluicing around her body like a cocoon. She raised her gaze to the face above her, unable to see anything, but knowing it was there. The space she was in was so dark that the black was like ink – surrounding everything till there was nothing – only confusion.

Scythe flew for a bit longer before deciding they had gone far enough. Raising his hand and slicing it down, he opened a hole in the blackness and slipped through, his toughened skin barely noticing the change from extreme heat to cooling night air. His trained eyes managed to locate a familiar spot and he swiftly made his way there, dropping the wind cocoon around his hostage, as she no longer required it. Jivra noticed the light first. The stars shining in the heavens never seemed more like small suns than at that moment – the whole world seemed lit up in glorious darkness – she had never been so relieved to see a half moon. The pitch darkness and hot air had scared her – but she'd die before admitting that to him.

She felt a jolt as they landed on a small platform off the side of a mountain. He released her, and she took a moment to adjust being on her feet again. Taking a few hurried steps back, Jivra let her eyes adjust on his sharply angled face, and began to devise a way to escape. His eyes didn't seem lustful or greedy – they seemed… sad. Almost as if he was yearning for something but couldn't reach it just beyond his fingertips. She was instantly on guard – Lustful and greedy she could handle – those two emotions usually meant stupidity and rashfulness, but this… this was different…she would probably have to use all her cunning to escape this. Best to keep him talking…

"Who are you?" She asked quickly, and inwardly grimaced at herself – she had already asked him that question yesterday. She didn't want him to think she was an idiot.

"I am Scythe." He replied, as though the question was new to him. He took a step forward. She took one back.

"That doesn't explain anything." She fired back, retreating another step and he came closer. "Who and _what_ are you?" There, that should get him.

He stopped for a moment, something unidentifiable flickering in his eyes as he watched her, fully aware of her strategy Not that it would help her, poor thing. But still, if he was going to do this, he may as well allow her the knowledge of who was destroying her.

"My Name is Scythe. I have no last name that you would recognize. I am a Gartizel." Seeing the confusion in her eyes, he sighed and explained, "One of those who was dismissed from heaven during the great war." More confusion, he frowned and answered bluntly. "I am a half caste – half devil, half elemental. I was one who refused to fight when hades fought god for the crown." Jivra's eyes widened as she realized what he was saying. A smile formed on her lips as she came to the conclusion that her captor was truly insane.

"So, you're a gargoyle?"

"Gartizel."

And your half demon…"

"Devil."

"And half…"

"Elemental."

"And you were dismissed from heaven because you refused to fight in the war between God and the Devil…"

"Hades. Yes."

"And you expect me to believe that?" Jivra's smirk was now so obvious, she was almost laughing. She looked at him mockingly and took a step back her heel coming into contact with something. Tilting her gaze to the side, she realized she had come flush against the mountainside, but instead of it being a solid wall of rock, she seemed to be against some kind of entrance which had pillars of stone going vertically across it. Scythe took a step forward till he was only a hand span away from her, his eyes serious, and deadly. She suddenly felt a tight thread of wind binding her hands to her sides, and a light sweat formed on her forehead.

"What you believe doesn't matter," he replied, his gaze boring into her, causing her to feel a small sliver of fear. "I was merely giving you the courtesy of the truth before I remove the sutra from your soul." Without another word, he raised both hands grasped Jivra's head. She gasped in shock as he then placed his forehead down on hers and closed his eyes. For a moment, she thought he was going to kiss her, then she felt a stirring in her spirit and realize something far more serious was happening. Closing her own eyes, she turned to her inner self. With a startled cry of indignation, she saw his spirit grasping as her soul, peering at it in a scientific manner as though he was looking at a specimen jar. Raising her voice, she screamed at him, telling him to let go. He merely began to start peeling away at the sacred writings inscribed at her centre. Jivra gasped, her inner eye closing from a moment as she fought the physical urge to throw up. Whatever he was doing felt _horrible_.

Scythe stared carefully and the single marking he was trying to remove. He had hoped that if he could perhaps peel off a few words, he could start to unravel the hold the sutra had on her, similar to unraveling string. But it was no good, each time he peeled at the marking, it glowed harshly, its light stinging his spiritual fingers, and then quickly resealing itself to the girl's soul. He began trying different markings, hoping to find one that was less vigilant – but it was no use.

Finally, he sighed. Raising his spirit back to his body, he blinked and opened his eyes, keeping the air shackles on Jivra's wrists. He glanced down at her pale face, and realized she was shaking. When she opened her eyes, the usual luster was gone, and her glazed gaze was dull and pain filled. Scythe sucked in a breath and tried to remind himself why he was doing this, why it was worth hurting someone so. He turned his head to the east as the first rays of the sun glanced over the horizon. So, a whole night had passed, eh? Releasing the iron grip on her head, he slowly picked her up and entered the small entrance in the mountainside, passing between the pillars. Jivra made no comment; she just stared straight ahead, gulping unconsciously. He crept to the back of the small cave and laid her down on the dry grass piled in the corner. A small, weak fist punched him squarely on the jaw as he went to leave. He glanced back down at her surprised. Her eyes, though dull, were no longer pain filled – they were furious, He gave her a small sad smile. "I'm surprised you still have the energy to move, let alone strike a punch. Most people are bedridden for weeks after a Soul Search." His voice was soft, but she could hear every word clearly. "I want you to know that I was unable to remove the sutra, which means I will have to try again in an hour or two. I also need to rest." The shocks her sutra-soul gave his spirit was definitely not good for his health. He went to leave, stopping only once at the entrance, and turning his head slightly.

"For what I have to do to one with such a history such as your's… I'm sorry…"

His whisper reached deaf ears… she was already asleep.

END CHAPTER 6


	7. Choice

_No idea where they might be…_

Something in that phrase rattled through the innocent mind of the golden eyed boy. No idea? But… but he was so _familiar._ Goku gritted his teeth in frustration and grabbed his head with his hands. If only he could remember!

"Goku – are you alright?" Hakkai's voice cut across the silence, causing two pairs of red eyes to look directly at him.

The youth looked up at the green eyed man, his face screwed up in concentration. "Hakkai… I just. I feel like I'm supposed to know… something…about this guy. Like I've seen him before." Hakkai's gaze sharpened, reflecting the predatory look that suddenly came into Ax's stare. Gojyo seemed surprised, one arm still casually draped around the vamp. "Well of course you've seen him before – you guys told me that y'all ran into him yesterday." The Kappa's voice sounded annoyed. Ax shrugged his arm off, incidentally dislodging the raven still perched on her other shoulder. Artemis launched and flew up to the higher branches of the canopy with a resounding caw.

"You mean you saw him before yesterday?" The vamps voice was tight, her eyes bright at the possibility that the younger boy might have information that could lead them to her friends whereabouts. Goku nodded slowly, his face still a mask of frustration. Suddenly, Ax leapt forward, arms outstretched as she grabbed the monkey by his collar. Her face was furious, her eye bright red – but apart from these most frightening features, her voice was soft, and pleading. "Please, Goku. Please try to remember – who is he? Do you know where he could have taken her? PLEASE." Her eyes returned to their normal color as she spoke, and the smaller boy finally saw the true emotions come through. Though he was young of mind, his heart could understand how she felt, and it sympathized. "Ax," His voice was small and scared, "I can't remember," The redheads face fell, and turned stony in acceptance.

"…But maybe you could help me to?"

Her eyes rose to meet his quickly, her mouth parting in surprise. Hakkai looked on with a small smile as Gojyo became confused. _Of course_, she thought, her throat tight in the rush of thanks and affection she felt for the boy, _he knows I can look into his memories._ She relaxed her grip on him and grasped his hands. "Are you sure?" She asked softly, "There might be things I see in there that you don't want me too?" Goku looked up at her, his eyes full of honest trust. "It's you, Ax – I know you won't do anything bad."

Her throat closed over at his absolute faith in her still developing skill, and her ability to keep what she saw to herself. Taking a deep breath and closing her eyes, she raised their joined hands to eye height and allowed a soft smile to grace her lips. "Thank you." She whispered to him, "Now close your eyes and focus on the guy you're trying to remember – that will help me get to the memories faster." Goku nodded and did as he was bid, keeping the image and the frustrating emotions he felt about it in the front of his mind.

Suddenly, Ax was there. He could feel her presence all around him, softly nudging here, gently probing there. He felt her come closer to the image in his head and surround it, cutting through his tangled web of emotions easily, straightening the threads and allowing him to clearly understand what he was feeling. He saw more images of the young man, who had abducted Jivra, but his hair was black, and his smile was bright and easy going. Goku felt warm all over seeing that smile. Like feeling summer for the first time after a year of autumn winds. He saw flashes of memories, pictures that had haunted him but were now clear. And then, his mind was dark, Ax was gone. But the images still lingered, within his reach if he ever wanted to remember and let his mind drift.

The young woman leaned back with a sigh, dropping Goku's hands and smiling brilliantly. That was the best session she had had so far! She had managed to locate the image strand, de fragment the emotional core and then enhance the memories. "I did it! I got into his mind!" She cried happily as Goku blinked and gazed back at her with a silly grin. Hakkai smiled at her, pleased that she was pleased, but wanting very much to ask the questions that would help locate Jivra.

"Well, that couldn't be too hard, could it – I mean, he only has ONE thing on his mind." Gojyo said dryly, earning him a glare from the Vamp

"Sanzo!Harehetttttaaaaaa!" The boy whined, his voice echoing through the glade, and surely being heard inside the tent… though there was no reply.

"I rest my case." Gojyo finished, waving a limp hand in the monkey's general direction.

A tousled blonde head appeared, followed by a black leather and white cotton covered body. "The question now is, Goku, what do you remember?" Sanzo's voice cut through the incessant whining the young brunette was making, causing him to stop the childish behavior and actually focus his thoughts.

"Well…I remember the guy. His name is Scythe…"

"We already knew that…" Hakkai elbowed Gojyo into silence.

"… But that's not his whole name. It's something weird. And he used to have black hair."

"So you did know him from before? From when?" Hakkai piped up

"From before. From the mountain where I was born."

Sanzo started, his violet eyes widening in shock. That simply wasn't possible… that means…this guy was _really _ OLD. Older than Goku. But he only looked to be in his early 20's! Just goes to show what appearances really mean for people like them… people like Goku.

"Tell us more Goku. How long did you know him? Did you have a relationship? Where did you spend most of your time?" Ax's voice finally joined the chorus. Yes, she had seen his memories, but he was the only one to decipher them in a manageable order- they seemed so jumbled and disorganized to her.

"Well, I musta known him for a long time, cos we became friends when I was on the mountain. He used to teach me things, like words for plants, and how to talk to the animals of the wind, like birds and stuff. He was the one who gave me my first pair of pants and the one who taught me what it was like to want for nothing – just to love what I have – even not having a name." He took a breath and frowned, concentrating harder. "Then… I…I can't quite remember what happened… but I wasn't there anymore. I don't know where I went, but I know I wasn't there. And when I next saw him, I was in the prison cave." He turned his head slightly – eyes pained at the thought of living in that cage for so long.

"He came for me, just once, while I was there. I must have been as soon as I got put in there, cos I asked him what happened, and he got really upset, saying he wasn't allowed to see me anymore. He'd been ordered to disappear from my life. He said he wasn't allowed to come visit, but he'd try to convince some of his friends of the wind to drop by." Goku's mind stuttered over the memory of the little bird that had kept him company one spring. Had that been his doing?

"Keep going."Sanzo commanded. Goku shook his head to clear it and continued unabated.

"It was that last time I saw him that I was trying to remember most," he said in a confused tone of voice, "Because that's when he said the strangest thing. He said 'I can't stay here while you are here, but once you're free this place will never again be a cage. This place will be a fortress. I promise.' And then I asked him why he couldn't stay, but he didn't answer. So I asked him why was he my friend at all? He just said he'd tell me later." A furious snarl entered the monkey's voice, surprising everyone. "That liar! He never came back, so how was I ever supposed to know why?"

Hakkai eyed Goku thoughtfully, "Goku, when we saw him yesterday, he said something to you – do you remember what that was?" The golden eyed boy looked at the older man in surprise, "Yeah! I do! He said 'I'm happy to see you're finally free.' I forgot all about that!" He grinned and Hakkai jus gave him a blank smile. That tidbit wasn't really that helpful.

Everyone stayed silent for a moment, before Ax got to her feet, triumph sparkling in her eyes. "Well? C'mon!" She cried, focusing all the attention on her, "I think it's pretty obvious where his base is now – and it's the best clue we've got… so let's go!"

Sunlight crept carefully into the cave, its fingers almost unwilling to wake the soft sleeper among the dry straw. Its rays caressed brown locks tumbling unhindered against a soft, troubled face. They travelled along the slender body and illuminated it, warming it softly, reminding it that morning had come and it was time to start wake up. The figure remained unmoving, and the light sighed in silence, moving onto light the rest of the cave. Its path only interrupted by the tall silver figure walking in through the entrance.

He had only managed a few hours' sleep, but it had been worth it. Usually his body didn't require such things as nightly rest, but after something as exhausting as a soul search, even he needed to have a few hours off. He walked carefully into his fortress, his face still as he gazed upon the silent sleeper on the floor. It was so strange, he thought, that such a simple and fragile looking thing could hold so many secrets, and so many hidden lies. He wasn't surprised that the sutra had chosen her now – not after he had witnessed some of her soul's power and past. Even without the sutra, she was a unique individual – her history not unlike his own. His lips cracked in a crooked smile. It was too bad, really – Under any other circumstances, he probably would have become quite good friends with the young maiden – she certainly lived up his nickname for her, if only in spirit alone. Sparky.

As though reading his thoughts, the object of his attention rolled over, still fast asleep. Scythe grimaced and felt a turning in his gut at the actions he was about to take. Lord knows, now more than ever he didn't want to kill her. And yet, after the small glimpses he managed to get of the scriptures' sentences unraveled, he knew that the solution was irrevocably there. Sighing and shaking his head, he closed off his heart and walked over to the girl, crouching down and shaking her shoulder to wake her.

"Hey Sparky, wake up. I can't do this while you sleep." _Well, I can_, he thought, _but she might never wake up if I did. It causes too much damage to the waking body, let along the sleeping one. _He shook her again, a little more firmly, his gut twisting even more at the actions he was taking. He turned his head and winced as his emotions fought furiously with his wants, taking a moment to steel his heart further against the raging desire he felt to simply let the girl go. God, he hated feelings like that- they were few and far between for him, but still, when they did occur, he always hated that part of himself that decided it had to care about humans more than his own wellbeing.

Jivra stirred, and blinked up at him, her face motionless, her eyes bright, but slow moving. Deciding she was awake enough, he gently put his arms beneath her and lifted her to a comfortable sitting position, leaning against a wall. She groaned softly in protest, her eyes never leaving his face, her furious gaze boring into him. Noticing his stony eyes and clenched jaw, she decided he was as uncaring as the day before, simply a worthless, sutra hunting half-breed bastard, who didn't care about anything and played with good manners then discarded them- like a child with a toy. Asshole. She reserved her energy, still feeling weak, but thinking that she could probably get to her feet if she had to. She didn't want him to know that yet – he said yesterday that she would take a while to recover – she didn't want him to think any differently if he left her a chance to get away.

"This will be the last time I'll be trying this. I promise." His voice was throaty and deep, betraying some of the emotion in his heart, but Jivra just let it roll over her, thinking it was only a vicious ploy to make her let down her guard. She steeled herself as he placed his hands on either side of her head and pressed his forehead to hers. Feeling that same stirring sensation in her soul, she turned her inner eye towards herself and saw him once again trying to peel at her soul. This time he seemed to be holding some kind of instrument – a transparent pair of tongs about as long as her hand. He was using this to delicately grasp the corner of one of the writings, then using his hand to slip between it and her soul, stopping it from reattaching. She watched with a small amount of panic as triumph flashed over his face when he managed to get six symbols off in a row. Suddenly, there was a bright flash of light and she felt his spirit go flying backwards, out of her body. His head snapped back and he dropped his hands with a curse rubbing them together and standing. Jivra opened her eyes, blinking as though she had accidentally looked into the sun. Scythe's wings were outstretched and a vicious snarling filled the small space.

When she could finally look at him without feeling sun blinded, the first thing she noticed were his eyes – they were glowing a deadly pitch black and he began pacing back and forth across the cavern, growling out strange sounding words in apparent frustration and rage. His teeth seemed to have extended, like fangs and strangest of all… his tongue and mouth was black. Jivra sat still, realizing with a sense of dread that the energy she had collected from her meager few hours of sleep had already leather, and she was once again feeling drained exhausted and had the beginnings of a massive headache. She worked her jaw slightly – her tongue felt too large for her mouth and she made a face in annoyance. Swallowing a few times, she couldn't help but cough at the obviously irritated barti… garne… Gargoyle…. Whatever.

Hearing her, he turned his head and snarled – a noise so feral it didn't sound like it came from a human. He spread his wings further then snapped them back in, the echo so loud it hurt Jivra's ears. She glared at him and widened her eyes as she slowly slipped sideways down the wall, having no energy to stop herself. Scythe snarled again and leapt forward, catching her before she hit the ground and laying her down on her back. Standing quickly, he turned and left the cave, slipping through the tight bars easily and spreading his wings as he sprinted off the cliff face, and glided out into the open sky drifting in a slow moving circle, so that the entrance to the cave was always within his line of sight.

Jivra lay in a state of puzzlement, her confusion increasing with each breath. But it didn't last long, as she battled to keep awake, and her body and mind fought against her – they demanded sleep, and they were determined to get it. She grumbled to herself one last time as she slipped into a state of exhausted unconsciousness.

Damn grati… jarni… whatever…

The demons of the lower plateau had always live peacefully among the humans of the area. They were only a small family of eight, but when the madness took over, they were more than enough to annihilate half of the small village where they lived, before they had been chased out. Following their noses they had traveled north, finding others like themselves – single, wandering mindless individuals. They began to band together, forging their attacks and becoming more successful in their raids. Before they knew it, they had become a band of over thirty strong, and conceited in their power.

Stopping below a strange mountain, they had realized that west seemed to be the direction they wanted to go in. As they fought among themselves, one of the calmer ones noticed a dark shadow floating towards the top of the mountains in the night sky above them. He licked his lips and snarled at his companions alerting them of the possible meal above them. They stopped their fighting and growled as they too noticed the easy pickings that landed on the shelf high above them. Most of them instantly decided it was too far to climb. The others were put off by the fact that it flew, and as such was probably only another youkai, and not a meal. Grinning, the single youkai began to climb alone, clawing his way up.

It had taken him most of the early morning to get to his destination, and he ducked in surprise as the large flying shadow flew out to float in the air above him. He bared his teeth and was glad his skin tone matched the rocky she also well. Taking a quick risk, he glance at the oversized turkey that was floating about above him. It certainly LOOKED like a youkai…. But it didn't smell like one… And, it was smaller coming out than when it went in… which meant there was something left in the area! His nose twitched as he smelt something soft and violent… something _female_. Grinning, the adventurous youkai liked his lips and crept over the lip of the shelf, crawling along the face of the mountain like a crab. Coming up to the stone bars, he looked inside and felt saliva drip from his gaping jaws.

She looked delicious!

Jeep sped along the leaf strewn path, his wheels nearly levitating off the road as he was pushed to drive faster than ever before. Teu had found a new favorite sitting place – the dashboard. She loved watching the road come flying at her, and her little wings flared as she pretended she was flying that fast. The Sanzo ikkou sat silently, their demeanors expectant and anxious. Ax had decided to ride in between Gojyo and Goku, reasoning that when they arrived at their destination, Artemis would need to be at full power and not exhausted from running the whole way – so he was perched on her knee.

They had been going for hours, and Sanzo could tell they were close from the way Goku became more and more withdrawn. He knew the monkey would never willingly go back to his prison… unless it were extremely important. Ax shifted and fidgeted as the sunlight crept over the horizon and rose steadily into the morning sky. She gazed forward at the mountain rising in the distance and mentally prepared herself, knowing if it came to a battle, she would put all her training into it… and would kick this 'Scythes' ass! He may not be a vampire, but she was fairly certain of her capabilities in beating him.

"We're almost there." Hakkai yelled back, causing Gojyo to sit up and Goku to uncurl from his protective position. Ax turned to him and gave him half smile, clapping him on the shoulder. The monkey looked up into her eyes and smiled shakily, taking strength from her support. Turning her gaze back to the mountain, she spotted a small dot speeding out from the mountainside to float in the afternoon sky. That was HIM! Baring her teeth, she snarled and stood up in the moving car, jumping onto her seat. Gojyo and Goku cried out as she leapt into the air, transforming into her maeth form and speeding off in the direction of the mountain. With a harsh caw, Artemis sped into the sky after her, changing into his raun body as he went, slowly catching up. He roared into the sky in triumph, knowing soon they would find their companion.

Scythe soared, allowing the natural winds to lift him higher as he cleared his mind of the anger he felt. Why didn't it work? Why was it sticking so hard to her soul? And not just that, but that jolt he received had _hurt._ A lot. His whole spirit felt rattled and it edges singed. He knew as soon as it happened that his other side had come roaring to the surface in defense. He didn't trust that side – accepted it, yes, but didn't trust it. That side of him that reminded him too much of his father… the bastard. And yet, it had helped him so much – had defended his soul against turning to ash when the girls soul reacted.

He snarled and circled again, rubbing his hands and trying to decide what to do next.

It was at that moment two things happened at once: Scythe raised his glance to see a splotch of rock colored, human shaped _something_ on the bars of his fortress. A youkai! Crap! At the same time, he heard a loud and resounding roar of an enraged raun, and turned swiftly to see two large forms come hurtling towards him out of the forest towards the west. Shit… it was her friends. He turned frantically, torn between immediately defending his captive, or running and hoping they found her before the youkai got her. Oh god…

_What do I do?_


	8. The boy on the Mountain

_What do I do?_

Folding his wings, he dropped like a stone towards his fortress. Wind screamed around him as he fell, though the youkai on the rocks below heard nothing. He raised his arms like spears pointing down, the glowing power he contained quickly surrounded them. He was only a millisecond from hitting the youkai on the rocks when he made his move. Scythe had made his choice – and this was going to be tricky…

Ax watched in furious horror as the winged _jackass_ executed a perfect suicide dive – right towards the cave! She narrowed her eyes further as she focused, and lost her wingbeats for a moment, when she realized that there was a youkai on the mountainside! And it was trying to get to something in the cave… JIVRA! Then… Scythe wasn't going for a suicide run – he was trying to stop that youkai from getting to Jivra! She flew faster, and felt the air around her wings tighten and pull as she got closer – this must have been where he pulled into his dive – the suction was the remaining vortex of wind.

Suddenly, she saw him slash his hands down, the moment before he hit the ground, and there was a scream, a burst of superheated air, a dark tear in the world, and then… nothing…

Jivra forced herself awake – fighting her body's insistent pull towards blessed unconsciousness. She had only passed out for five minutes, enough for that winged bastard to leave the cave. She heard the grunting before she saw the slavering youkai at the cave entrance. Her heart jumped into her mouth – she was far too weak to fight this thing. And with all the 'experiments' Scythe had been doing on her soul, she had no guarantees that the Sutra would protect her. The rock colored monster reached through the stone bars, its eyes insane with hunger.

Jivra couldn't move – her body felt like a sack filled with flour – she was unable to even shift back further. Suddenly, the air felt too close – the wind _screamed._ The youkai at the gates finally turned – and it was the last thing he would ever do. Scythes hands, empowered by his ability to tear the fabric of the universe, slashed vertically down the youkai's body - successfully disintegrating the beast, as well as creating a rift for him to escape through. Jivra saw all of this from the back of the cave, and her exhausted brain refused to be ignored any longer. Her eyes fluttered closed as the bodies of a maeth and a raun thumped down on the platform in front of her 'prison'. She wouldn't be waking for several days… if at all…

"Set her down here!" Hakkai's eyes were bright with restrained worry over the condition of Jivra's chi. He noticed a black haze around her soul – it looked like death was trying to claim her. Ax sobbed as she gently placed the girls body on the blanket Gojyo had laid out at the base of the mountain.

Upon arriving there, the four travelers had met with the large band of youkai who were not interested in climbing the mountain with their fellow. Instead, they looked delighted to have a meal drive directly into their camp! They didn't quite understand, however, who they were dealing with. Nor did they understand, just how pissed off the Sanzo Ikkou would be when they arrived.

The Youkai never stood a chance.

The four men turned their faces to the sky as they saw a familiar shape soaring down to them on the thermals. The forested land surround the mountain was peppered with small clearings like the one they were in, and as Goku set up a defensive perimeter, the mem stayed silent and waited for Ax's arrival – hopefully with Jivra in hand.

It didn't take long before she landed, along with her raven companion, and Jivra's too-still form in her arms. Her maeth form retracted, and Ax sobbed as she watched Hakkai perform his healing kidou on her friend. Gojyo rested a comforting hand on her shoulder, and felt her shudder with retrained anger – the girl wasn't crying out of worry – she was _furious!_ Gojyo wondered if he ought to warn this Scythe guy just exactly who was going to be coming after him… nah.

Sanzo watched this little drama play out as he chugged away on his cigarette. Damn damn DAMN! He turned on his heel and stormed off into the trees, absolutely livid that the living sutra that Jivra had become – might nearly have blinked out of existence. That winged _bastard!_ How _dare _he lay hands on her! Did he have any idea that he had almost killed her? Probably. Did he care? Probably not.

The blonde man clenched his teeth and fists in anger. This is NOT how it was supposed to go. How, in all of Shangrila could he possibly end up shackled like this? So far at the end of the scale of bad luck, that he was almost lost in karmic unbalance? It wasn't FAIR! He swung his gaze back towards the clearing, where he could still see Hakkai's glow permeating the thick brush. Those _friends _of his – they were always causing him bad luck. He could have been to see Gyumaoh and back again if they weren't with him. He would never have had the misfortune of meeting Jivra or Ax if not for this maggot-infested journey! Why was it _always _like this?!

"Because you're the most amusing to watch."

Sanzo twisted around at the sound of the deep feminine voice, his gun already pointed at her face – yet before he could pull the trigger, she had two fingers in his wrist, and with a clever twist, successfully disarmed him, sending the gun spinning away into the brush.

"How dare you point that thing at me." Her voice was mild and not in the least bit offended. Kanzeon Bosatsu had little reason to fear this violent young man.

"I _dare_ because you're an old hag who cares so little for the plights of man." He was breathing deeply, his anger at her appearance tempered only slightly by the hope that she was here to do more than just annoy him.

"If you think I care so little, I'll just leave then, _without _helping your little girlfriend." Her smirk was more infuriating than a full day alone with Goku.

"She's not my girlfriend you witch! She's-" He stopped himself, unwilling to let the woman know that Jivra was a living sutra. Then he realized that she would figure it out anyway when she chose to heal the girl. "She's a living sutra. A soul bound human. If you want to help her, go ahead. But if you don't, and she dies, _you _can be responsible for where the Sutra goes after that."

Kanzeon rolled her eyes and walked towards the glow of Hakkais hands through the trees. "Well, DUH, monk! Any god with two eyes could have figured that one out! And I happen to be a God, in case you've forgotten – so a little more respect would be nice, in future."

Sanzo scowled and followed the goddess through the trees, watching with some trepidation as she told Hakkai to move out of the way. Without crouching, the goddess raised both her arms, hands facing palm down over Jivra's prone body and closed her eyes. Everyone stayed quiet, barely daring to breathe as they tried to suspect what the goddess might be doing.

"CLEAR!" She shouted suddenly, making everyone jump. Lightning shot from her hands down to Jivra's body, making the woman's back muscles arch as they strained upwards. Her eyelids fluttered and small gasps escaped her lips as the lightning shot into her body in an unending stream. Then, before anyone could blink again, it was over, and the goddess had disappeared into thin air.

Ax rushed to Jivra's side, and knelt as she gently touched her friends shoulder. Was she still…?

Jivra gasped loudly, her eyes wide open in shock, as she sat up and clenched the ground for support. Her eyes went wild as she tried to focus on everything at once, and she coughed loudly – once, twice, three times – before she thumped back down onto her back and groaned. "Ax – have you seen my hat?"

The vampire laughed out loud and threw her hands around her friend, bringing her up again into a sitting position. Hakkai, Goku and Gojyo let out a collective sigh of relief. Sanzo just stood there, staring at the woman with ill disguised anguish as he tried to come to terms with her sudden recovery to health. The sutra was safe. That was all that mattered. Maybe night they could get some rest from the road, and finally figure out how they were going to survive tomorrow.

The darkness consumed him, leaving his mind free to wander it's way through the past few days of events. How could he have been so _stupid?_ He should never have left her alone – and now, because he had – they had retrieved her. He should have kept running to the sea! Maybe an island or…

He sighed. It was too late now – he would have to try again later, after he had deciphered how to use what she had. There had to be a solution – there just _had_ to! Preoccupied as he was in his thoughts, he failed to notice the ominous presence invade the space around him until it was too late.

_ Child. Where do you fly?_

A deep voice. A commanding, powerful, seductive voice. A voice used to getting it's own way, and making you want to join it. A voice of whispers and shadows, of sex and desires, of mayhem, chaos and pain.

Scythe jerked into awareness and began channeling power to his arms to exit the rift world. He would not answer that voice. Just as he had not answered for over 50,000 years. Though persistence was one of its more admirable qualities.

_Child. From whom do you flee?_

Persistent and aggravating. He had to get out of here. Fast. Before the voice decided to reach out with its power and 'invite' him to stay for a century or two, as it did every now and again. He didn't have a choice with those invitations – he was a prisoner, not a guest And he did _not_ enjoy the company. Raising his now glowing arm, he sliced downwards through the rift, and slipped out into the cold light of dawn.

_Child. You will lose. _

Scythe shuddered in reply, and took a moment to breathe in the frosty air of the morning sky. His invulnerable skin was covered in a light sheen of sweat – From fear rather than the scorching heat of the rift world. That voice… he hadn't heard it since he had last been allowed to leave its embrace – nearly 500 years go. Its last little 'invitation' had been the most excruciating he had received so far, and upon his release, he had flown far from his home in the north east, to this strange land of Shangrila – there, he had found the Boy – for he had no name. The boy on the mountain top.

But now, that boy had a name, and he had grown. Goku, they called him – and treated him like the silly saru he was – and would always be. Scythe was glad the boy had a name and a family now – he had deserved that much, living alone in the wilderness. He had been unaware of his power or his destiny, and Scythe didn't want to spoil his innocence by breaking it to him. So, he became friends with the child – taught him joy and innocence and freedom. Then suddenly, the Heavanly Court gaurds had arrived and captured him. _Captured him._ Like he was some kind of wild beast, or curiosity! And Scythe was unable to follow, bound as he was by his repulsive collar – bound to stay out of heaven until the curse was broken. He had howled that day. Howled in anger and the unfairness of it all. He had wanted to protect that boy, befriend that boy – for he was everything that embodied the spirit of the wind, just like Scythe himself.

Then suddenly, months later, the heavens cracked and boomed, the clouds turned green and gold and purple – holy magic. Scythe had been meditating for weeks, and this disturbance had him glaring sharply at the clouds. What were they _doing _up there? Having a mass fit? Gold and purple were the royal holy colors – green was the color of fighting – war. Only the fact that there was no red in the clouds held Scythe back from the edge of panic. Red would have meant mass deaths – the deaths of the gods and the immortals. Mixed with the gold and purple colors – that would have meant the _Royal Family _deaths.

Suddenly, a golden orb came floating out of the clouds, only a few miles from Scythes mountainside location. His eagle vision sharpened as he perceived three figures in that floating bubble of power, two large and one small… a child…

Spreading his dark, membranous wings, he launched himself into the wind and flew swiftly towards the floating orb. He had almost reached them when a voice rocked his mind – a gentle voice, which had him confused and wary.

_Gartizel! You may not see the boy anymore. You may not speak with him or let him perceive your presence. He is a prisoner of heaven. A heretic. An outcast. A murderer. You will not interfere._

Scythe landed on a nearby rocky outcropping and screamed into the sky, "WHY? He is a _child!_ He knows no-one, HAS no-one – why torture him like that!?"

The voice became even more gentle, and Scythe identified it as a feminine voice, and a higher caste than an immortal… a goddess, perhaps. _You cannot question this. And you cannot interfere. If you do, heaven will strike you down, and the curse you have upon you will be made permanent._

Scythe gasped at the seriousness of this punishment – just how desperate were they to let this boy suffer? His curse was already severe punishment. To threaten permanency…

"At least let me say goodbye. He must be allowed that… no one, not even a convicted psychopath would get any less." Tears rolled down his face as he realized the depth og punishment for him, but for this innocent child he had cared for. The punishment of being locked away, being alone, for years beyond count? That was barbaric. That was justice only the immortals would provide.

The voice was silent for long minutes… _You may say your goodbyes. The you must leave. _

And so it was, when Scythe had found Goku on that mountainside, chained and bound, the boy had leapt for joy, only to have despair creep in, as Scythe told him goodbye. He had cried, begged, screamed for help – but the gartizel had to walk away... to stay, would have been beyond death.


End file.
